At Ikebukuro Station
by Gryvon
Summary: Seishirou/Subaru. How their initial meeting might have gone in a different life...


"You look cold."

Subaru jerks in surprise and blinks up at the taller man at his side. He smiles and runs a hand through his hair. "Oh, yeah, a bit." He can't help the self-deprecation that seeps into his voice. "I ran out without my winter gear. Again."

The stranger smiles. It's a nice smile, the kind of smile Subaru wouldn't mind spending hours staring at. "Are you the forgetful type?"

He laughs. "I really am. My sister used to keep me in line but she moved in with her fiancé so I'm slowly learning to take care of myself." A blush spreads warmth through his chilled cheeks. "Not that I can't, you know, take care of myself. I am a functioning adult."

The stranger laughs. "Don't worry. I wasn't questioning that. Would you like to borrow my coat for a bit? At least until the train comes?"

Subaru shakes his head immediately, even as he shivers. He really needs to invest in a thicker coat. Winter never gets too bad in Tokyo, but he gets cold easily. "Oh, no, I couldn't."

The stranger sets down his satchel and shrugs out of his coat anyway. Subaru sputters protests but he can't help smiling shyly at the stranger as the man's coat settles around his shoulders. The other man is taller and broader in the shoulders. His coat seems to envelop Subaru in blissful warmth.

"Now you'll be cold," Subaru says.

There's a fondness in the man's gaze. "I can stand it for a little while. The train will be here soon." He holds out a hand. "I'm Seishiro, by the way. Seishiro Sakurazuka."

Seishiro's gloved hand is warm against Subaru's bare flesh. "Subaru Sumeragi."

"Where are you heading today, Subaru?"

"Shibuya. I'm meeting my sister, actually. She wants help planning the wedding."

Seishiro's smile shines in his twinkling eyes. "You two must be close."

"Twins," Subaru says. There aren't words that describe his level of closeness with Hokuto, but that will do.

The whistle of the approaching train interrupts them. Subaru starts to take off the coat but Seishiro places a hand on his shoulders. "You can keep it a little longer."

The train for the Fukutoshin line pulls up and Seishiro follows Subaru onto the train. Subaru grabs onto a pole while Seishiro reaches for one of the handholds suspended nearby. As the doors close and the train sways into motion, their bodies bump into each other.

"You're heading this way too?" Subaru asks quietly, not wanting to disturb the other passengers.

"I work in Shinjuku," Seishiro says.

Subaru smiles. They have a few stops together to enjoy each other's company. "What do you do?"

Seishiro releases the handhold to dig into his satchel. He pulls out a business card and Subaru scrambles to pull out his own from his card case. They nod to each other as they exchange cards. Subaru studies the plain white card in front of him. "You're a veterinarian."

"I own my own practice," Seishiro says with a proud smile. He tucks Subaru's card away in his pants pocket. "How do you like social work?"

Subaru beams. "It's challenging but I really like helping people. My sister went into fashion, but I've always wanted to help those less fortunate. I really feel like it's what I was born to do."

There's something soft in the way Seishiro looks at him. Something tender. Subaru blushes and stares down at the floor. He's still holding Seishiro's card reverently in his hands. He doesn't want to put it away just yet.

Seishiro's body presses against Subaru's shoulder as he leans down to whisper in Subaru's ear. "I hope this isn't too forward of me, but I would really like to call you later. Maybe we could have dinner together, if that's alright."

Subaru nods without looking up. His face feels like it's on fire. "Y-yes. Yes, I would like that."

"Wonderful." Seishiro straightens but stays pressed against Subaru's side. The train is full, but not packed enough that the closeness is necessary. Still, Subaru doesn't complain.

He reluctantly relinquishes Seishiro's coat when they near Shinjuku. Seishiro leaves with a promise to see him later. As soon as the doors close, Subaru pulls out his cellphone and fires off a text to Hokuto. He knows he'll see her in a few minutes, but he can't wait to tell her about the amazing guy he met on the train. She yells at him for not taking pictures and jokes about adding a spot in the seating chart for Subaru's date to the wedding. It's a little soon for all that, but Subaru doesn't argue. He has a feeling about Seishiro. He thinks maybe Seishiro will be around for the wedding.

Subaru doesn't believe in love at first sight. That's always been Hokuto's thing, with her television dramas and romance manga—which he'd watched and read, respectively, because she made him and also because he sort of likes some of that too, at least the parts where the couples finally get together and are happy. He just likes seeing people happy.

Still, he thinks this could be love at first sight, or something close to it. He could be in love. If not right now, then he could get there. He could be happy with Seishiro. Very happy.

He smiles all through his meeting with Hokuto and because Hokuto is Hokuto, she keeps commenting on it, makes a big deal about how her brother is in love and how wonderful it is. She starts making notes for a whole line of clothes themed around love, says she's going to have the show on the day of her wedding and have the models be her bridesmaids. Subaru talks her down from that, convinces her to do it on Valentine's Day instead. She insists on giving out free chocolates to everyone who comes and having a chocolate fountain. He doesn't argue with that because he never argues with her shows. No matter how outlandish her ideas may seem to him, they always turn out to be a big success with her clients. She didn't rise to being one of the top names in fashion by being ordinary.

He begs a moment alone when Seishiro does call, shortly after lunch. There's barking in the background and Seishiro laughs when Subaru comments on it and tells him about the Shiba Inu puppies that he's helping a breeder find homes for.

When they meet in Roppongi for dinner, Seishiro slides a wrapped package across the table toward Subaru. Subaru opens it after much protest and then laughs when he sees the set of hat, scarf, and mittens that Seishiro bought him. The fabric is warm and soft and he promises Seishiro that he'll use them and not forget them at home.

They take the train together back to Ikebukuro, fingers brushing against each other as they bump and sway with the train's movements. Seishiro insists on walking Subaru home and Subaru feels warm, wrapped in his brand new mittens and scarf and hat with Seishiro at his side. The warmth stays as they get to Subaru's apartment building and Subaru invites Seishiro inside.

Subaru wakes the next morning to kisses along his bare neck and a warm body pressed against his back. He smiles and thinks that it really was love at first sight.


End file.
